AES E-Library

AES E-Library

Slope Distortion and Amplifier Design

Slope distortion is significant when the time derivative of the output voltage of a feedback amplifier approaches the amplifier's slew-rate limit. Slope distortion prior to slew-rate limiting is reduced by local feedback at the first stage; additional benefits of local feedback are increases in the maximum step input and in the slew-rate limit itslef (if the amplifier is correctly compensated). The transfer characteristics of practical first-stage designs (with the degree of local feedback as a parameter) are compared.